I have just put a well known artists music to a vid I have made, is it ok to do this and publish say on you tube.
Music to vid,
- Thread starter Wallyboy
- Start date
In theory...no, because you're infringing their copyright. But on Youtube you'll often get away with it, and the copyright holder will moneytise it, which means that you will get ads appearing on your video. No big problem because you can click to close the ad.
Youtube will let you know if it's not acceptable.
Youtube will let you know if it's not acceptable.
NO, not without permission!!! Except perhaps if it is for your own personal use, say in your own living room.
Another poster suggested you might get away with this and a lot of people do this, but it is unlawful. It is theft. The penalties for copyright infringement can be very stiff. I know. As a photographer I have sued people for stealing my work and they have paid dearly.
Make no mistake about it, when you use somebody else's copyrighted work without permission from the copyright holder or his/her authorized agent you are stealing. It's not only against the law, it's morally reprehensible. How would you like to work really, really hard, studying your craft for years, spending countless hours creating a piece, investing your money in tools, equipment or lessons, sweat equity etc. only to have somebody take the fruits of your labors and use it without your permission for whatever they wish? It's not a good feeling.
Don't make the mistake that a copyright notice must be presented with an artist's work. It need not. Copyright subsists from the moment of creation. For example, when you take a photo, you own the copyright. Just like that. It is possible for a work of art to be in the "public domain" where anybody can do what they wish with it. Public Domain is not the same as a public place. You might find music or artwork online in a public forum, for example, but unless the copyright owner has specified in a written document the work is in the public domain or that the work is otherwise not copyrighted it's not in the public domain. Work for which the copyright has expired or copyright never existed, for example may be in the public domain. The US Copyright Office is a good source of information on all manner of things copyright. Here is a link to an FAQ defining some common terms.
Another mistake to avoid is thinking that if you're caught using the copyrighted work of another person you can plead ignorance: "I didn't know it was copyrighted." Under the terms of copyright law, at least in the USA, ignorance is not an allowable defense.
It may be, that under certain terms, for a particular website, for example, that copyright owners give permission for their uploaded works to be used under certain circumstances upon upload, but you need to be sure you understand and make a record of the terms under which you use works you have found there. There is music supplied on YouTube Audio Library that can be used freely under the terms provided there. The Music Policies page at YouTube has music, including some from notable names, that may be used based on the policies set by the artist's themselves. Once there, look for the Learn More link.
Except for the music provided on YouTube specifically for use by others it is not up to them to let you know whether or not the music or other works of art you incorporate into your own work is OK to use. They don't even know who created what and they don't try to keep track. Not possible. It is up to you to get permission to use other people's work. If you were to hear from YouTube it would likely be because the artist complained to them. You may lose your YouTube privileges and you may find yourself on the wrong end of a lawsuit.
You want to be respected, don't you? Then be respectful of other people's rights. Get permission from the copyright holder (usually the creator) or his/her authorized agent whenever you use somebody else's work. There is free music out there and other music for which you can purchase a use license for not much money. Please support the artists that create the music we want to use by paying for their work if that is what they wish.
Just for generical information, almost every work of art created in the recent past is copyrighted whether there is any indication accompanying the work or not. Copyright means just what it says, the right to make copies. Nobody has that right except the copyright owner and those to whom he or she gives permission.
Oh, and thank you for asking about this important subject!
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Youtube has licenses for tons of songs. They 100% allow certain songs to be added to videos. It's 100% legal, 100% moral, is not theft and is not infringement of copyright.
I've used commercial songs on videos thhatt are posted to Youtube. When they are flagged YT gives you a message:
So please don't tell people it's illegal or immoral when it's not. These artist actually _make_ money when their songs are used in this way.
Yes and no. It depends. Just about the time you made your post I was editing mine to indicate there may be situations such as the one you describe. I've added links to my post above to YouTube free audio as well as a US Copyright Office FAQ.
The OP did not specify how he came to posess the music he was using. I assumed, rightfully or wrongfully--we won't know unless he comments--that he was wanting to use the music without license, without permission. Had he a license he probably would have been aware of it and not made his post.
My point was and is that barring public domain materials permission must be obtained one way or another. If a person has permission it's all good. If they don't, it is unlawful and immoral, IMHO, and can get somebody into a whole pack of trouble they hadn't bargained for.
Thank you for the info you provided.
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